Medical Science
by AliVal13
Summary: A nurse, Riku, and a scientist, Sora, collide. Literally.
1. Ouch

DISCLAIMER – I do not own Kingdom Hearts.

WARNING – Homosexuality, Minor Sexual Content in later chapters.

RANT – Don't read too much into each scene, just enjoy the story. I know that can be hard for some, but **I wasn't writing this with 100% seriousness and it certainly should not be read that way either.**

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><p>These days mornings at the lab would begin with a piece of paper laid out under an Einstein paper-weight. As usual, the sheet was written in an uneven, cursive scribble that was hard to read without squinting one's eyes and turning one's head left to right with every spin and spiral of the especially curly letters. Today it was being translated in the hands of a young brunette whose azure eyes were beginning to water from the effort of deciphering the "f"s from the "g"s and "t"s. His lips were set in a lop-sided pout (his bottom lip sticking out almost far enough to cover his top lip) and his brow was scrunched tight.<p>

"_To My Little Geniuses,_

_I fear I will not be attending this morning's experiments once again. I am certain all of you are used to my absence by now and will not hold it against this old man for yet another unexpected schedule change. As you know I have the utmost confidence in all of you- even Squall. _

_Today is a very special day for all of us! We have finally been granted permission to work with a living, human specimen- within limits. I know our policy at work, the state laws, and our personal policies have prevented us from working on animals so if there are objections to a human candidate I will understand but must advise that being as our work surrounds the human brain there was always the possibility we would work on humans directly and that we will several times in the future, and you should have chosen a different career path. I do not mean to come off so harsh but I feel it is necessary. I doubt that there are objections, however, so allow me to continue to your assignments and to the details of the subject- "_

The brunette turned to a blonde standing patiently to his right and held the letter to him.

"Here, Tidus, that's all I can read. You know, for a man who can work on some of the most delicate of experiments he sure does shake a _lot_ when he starts getting excited."

Tidus extracted from his pocket a narrow, black case as he took the paper with a gentle grip. It turned out to hold a pair of small bi-vocals, which he slid up to the bridge of his nose.

"You know, Blonde, those make you look like an old man."

"Shut up, _Squall_. And don't call me 'Blonde'! I got these just so I can read Doctor Ansem's writing."

"It's _Leon_."

"Can we get back to the letter, guys?"

"Yes, gladly," Tidus said with a superior sniff and a small cough to clear his throat. He straightened the paper with a flick of his wrists before leaning in close. Despite the magnifying half of his lenses he was still forced to pinch his eyelids.

"Hmm..."

"Well, what does it say?"

"Basics, mostly. Like cleaning up before the patient gets here, setting up for introductions, checking on current experiments which are under time limits, etcetera. Nothing special, really..."

"So I can take a nap?"

"No naps until _after_ work, Leon," Tidus said with a roll of his eyes before continuing to skim through Ansem's strange writing.

"Though, isn't it a little odd he wouldn't be around for something this important? I understand he's been having difficulties lately, but..."

"Stop worrying so much, Sora," Tidus waved a dismissive hand at the brunette. "He shows trust in us by leaving us with these responsibilities- it's much more than just he 'couldn't make it'."

"Stop trying to act smart, blonde. No one to impress here but me and the kid."

"I am _not _a child!"

"_Anyway_," Tidus said with an exasperated sigh, "now the important stuff."

"_Now allow me to introduce to you your human subject. Of course, I can't physically show him to you but I have included below a full description of his psychoses._

_- BMPD (Border-line Multiple Personality Disorder)_

_- Chronic Stress Disorder_

_- Intermittent Explosive Disorder_

_- Clinical Paranoia_

_- OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder)_

_Beyond the typical symptoms of each of these disorders the subject is surprisingly without phobias. The most apparent of these disorders is his I.E.D. and O.C.D. (mainly in alphabetical and horizontal versus numerical and vertical), the rest are fairly minor._

_I am certain you will all behave as wonderful hosts to our new edition._

_Love,_

_Dr. Ansem Wise"_

"Goody goody gum drops..."

"Well," Sora began cheerfully, "I suppose it is something we can do on our own. We don't need Dr. Wise if all we're doing is just the basic introductions. I just feel so nervous when we do these things without him."

"When aren't you nervous?"

"Shut up, Leon."

"Hey, guys," Tidus waved his hand to get the two brunette's attentions. "There's a little note at the bottom that says 'warning'."

"Warning?"

"_WARNING: My children of science, I do have one last note to make that I only discovered by accident on my way out last night... DO NOT USE THE BUNSEN BURNER IN THE FAR LEFT CORNER NEXT TO THE CHEMICAL SHELVES. This means you, Squall. Sora and Tidus, do not let him so much as cough in its direction! I mean it!"_

"Why? Is it broken?" Sora asked with a curious blink at the paper.

"I guess so," Tidus said with a shrug.

"Let's find out for sure..."

Leon had disappeared from the shoulders of his co-workers as they read the warning. Within a few seconds' time he had a pair of safety goggles, gloves, the handle of a long flicker in hand, and was right next to the very Bunsen Burner they had been warned to stay away from. He slowly turned the handle on the gas until the sound and smell filled the room.

"LEON! WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?" Both boys on the other side of the room screeched as Leon began to click the flicker against the nozzle.

By the time the two had begun to fling themselves toward the tall brunette it was already too late. The gas sparked into a little flame, and for a second things seemed fine... Until the fire began to turn blue and the tip began to wave about like a tail.

"So that's why," Leon said to himself in a casual manner as he began to back away from the flame. He jumped behind one of the large concrete tables plugged into the floor and held his head.

"Fire in the hole!"

Tidus hadn't realized what happened as his shoulder hit the cold, tiled floor. All he knew was the intense feeling of panic and the confusion from standing upright to suddenly being shoved behind a desk. Sora still had his arms extended toward the blonde from the push and his face turned toward Leon's flame. The tiny brunette only had enough time after that to hug his face with his arms before everything was engulfed in white.

By the time the white veil disappeared Sora was gone… along with the roof, walls, and anything not tied down.

Tidus and Leon began to slowly come out of their hiding places behind their respective desks- Tidus coughing up small puffs of smoke. Their clothes were singed almost to nothing, their skin spotted with red patches, and some of Tidus's hair was still on fire. The blonde patted at his sun-drenched locks until he knew his hair was safe again.

"Well," Leon began with a cough as he waved away the remaining smoke, "that was fun."

"Fun! _Fun_!?" Tidus shouted angrily, throwing a blackened chair at Leon. "You may well have _killed_ Sora! I'm surprised we aren't dead, you maniac!"

Leon barely managed to duck in time to miss the chair being flung at his head.

"You're stronger than you look," the brunette shrugged casually. "Well, I don't see his corpse anywhere... Some tiny pieces of his clothes are here, but we'd at least have bits of him. He can't have vaporized."

"How can you be so calm right now?! If he isn't dead... then...!"

Tidus and Leon simultaneously looked up toward the sky.

"You think that might be him? That flailing thingy?"

"Shit!"

"I'm sure he'll be fine."

Tidus jerked his head back to Leon.

"YOU'RE INSANE!"

oo00oo00oo

The park was lovely that day. The flowers were blooming along the paths in the warm Spring sun, there wasn't a cloud in sight, and thanks to it being the middle of the week it was virtually empty. A perfect day for a man between shifts to enjoy a small lunch and a good book.

The silverette ran a hand through his long, silver locks- each thread glittering like a string of crystals in the sunlight as they snaked through his fingers. He was so enthralled in his book he hardly heard or saw a thing, not even the explosion that went off behind him barely a mile away. There was a silver hoop in the middle of his bottom lip which his tongue proceeded to lick and his teeth gently nibbled with more and more frequency as he continued through each page with hardly a blink.

"… And thus, she landed at the base of the tower; the knight who had come to rescue her stared from atop his noble steed completely baffled. The autumn leaves that had fallen so thick upon the once green grounds had been enough to cradle her small frame and cushion her landing…"

There was a sudden noise that even an avid reader could not ignore during the best parts of a book. It was like a ready kettle- a high-pitched kind of whistle that was steadily growing louder. The young man blinked and set the book on its binding over the old, wooden table. Yet, no animals or humans besides himself and one curious canine sniffing some flowers were around.

The noise continued to grow louder... quickly becoming less of a whistle and more of a scream.

The silverette slid his bookmark between the pages, the book was closed, and then quickly stuffed into a pocket as he scrambled to his feet away from the bench.

"What the hell?"

It was definitely human... and definitely coming from over-head, not from the park field. The man's aqua eyes swam quickly toward the sky..

"Holy shi- !"

Without thinking, the male's arms instantly reached out and his feet ran forward with the intention of catching the scorched body plummeting toward the Earth.

"Uh- !"

The man had caught Sora, but the force of his fall caused them both to land back onto the ground. The stranger landed hard on his butt, but he kept his arms secure around Sora's legs and shoulders.

"Dammit, my ass… Fuckin' owwie..."

The silverette turned to the brunette half ripped to shreds from a fire cradled in his arms. Sora's blue eyes fluttered for only a second, but they were dark. The man gasped and began to gently shake Sora to try and keep him conscious.

"Hey, hang in there," he whispered softly, watching as Sora's eyes fell and his head dropped. "Ah, crap..."

The stranger stood with some difficulty but was able to lift the brunette and himself up somehow without falling back down and hardly stumbling at all.

"I'm gonna be feelin' that one for a few days," he said in a murmur as he turned to walk as fast as he could with the load (without tripping himself or bringing further harm to the burned up scientist) toward a large, white building beside the park opposite of the labs.

oo00oo00oo

Sora jerked as if electrocuted up from the tiny bed as he finally came to. His left arm bent to touch his face, but a sudden and sharp sting forced the appendage back down toward the white sheets and sidebar. The brunette hissed with pain as he moved his right hand to carefully touch around what his brain couldn't immediately register as an I.V. In fact, where he was and how he had arrived there stood as a complete blank in his fuzzy, tired mind. There was a large window, metal frames with thin mattresses, beeping machines, an intercom and emergency button near the bed- and that was when it hit him.

"Hospital... I'm in... in a..."

"Good morning."

Just as Sora was finding his bearings on what had happened and where it had taken him a deep, hansom voice interrupted his manic thoughts. Sora's first reaction was to jump- his whole body jolting and tightening with surprise- as his head jerked to address the man that had greeted him. Azure eyes took in the broad form of a male nurse with long, silver hair pulled back into a braided ponytail... His eyes were encased in a thin line of coal that made his aquamarine irises glow and his already light skin seem even snowier. His uniform was a light-green with a white long-sleeved shirt underneath, a uniform that couldn't hide the definition in the nurse's muscular arms and neck. And apparently the uniform policies weren't terribly strict, as the man's face had what looked like white-plastic piercings in his brow, nose, ears, and lip. The brunette couldn't help but stare, and didn't realize that (much less could stop) his eyes were widening with awe at the absolute beauty of the nurse smiling warmly down at him.

_I died. I died and went to heaven..._

"You had quite the fall," the nurse began with a chuckle. "How are you feeling?"

Sora felt the beginnings of drool threatening the edge of his lip. He discretely wiped it away and moved his hand to sidle under his chin to keep from gaping like a fish.

"I," Sora tried to remember how to talk, but his voice refused to work, "um... you... here... why?"

That warm smile the nurse had sported turned into a crooked smirk- an amused, charming smirk that worked so well with his squared jaw.

"I'm the nurse. You're my patient," the nurse said pleasantly, slowly. A needle was brandished down at his side. "You didn't land on your head, did you? You seem disoriented."

Instead of trying to speak Sora simply shook his head and turned to look out the window. The sky over the park was turning different shades of pink and orange with the growing sunset.

_Evening already? But ho-...?_ That was when the incident of the morning truly bounced back into his memory and caused a small rage to bubble in his stomach. His lips tightened into an angry frown and a low growl gurgled from his throat. _When I get back... Leon is a dead man._

The nurse waiting patiently behind him quirked his pierced brow at the quiet growling.

"You alright?" He asked cautiously with a concerned tilt of his head that caused the loose strands of his braid to sway.

The question brought Sora out his thoughts of revenge and mayhem with an involuntary squeak. The brunette turned back to the nurse and smiled shyly.

"I'm... I'm fine. I was just confused a moment... Trying to remember and all. I do, I'm not anymore, and I... I just wonder how I got here now?"

"I carried you here," the man said simply. "You landed on me while I was on break."

"Oh," Sora's face burst red as his fingers moved to play with his bottom lip out of embarrassment. He picked at the soft skin and pulled the muscle around as he averted his eyes down to his bedding. "So-Sorry about that... I'm... I'm Sora. Professor Sora... From the labs across the park... M-My friend blew me up through the roof."

There was a chuckle to follow, as if being blown up were an everyday thing.

"I see," the nurse said thoughtfully. "Well, we're still running a few tests so you may be here awhile. Do you need anything?"

"Just... I need to thank you for saving my life!" Sora turned back to look at the nurse. He sounded so excited, so appreciative... and so small. Like a little schoolboy addressing his favorite teacher or crush. "Who are you?"

The silverette blinked before pointing to a name tag. It read "Nurse Cuddles".

"Office name. The real one's Riku. Unless you prefer… 'Cuddles'," Riku sounded as though he surely didn't. He finally chose to sit down next to the brunette.

"I like 'Riku' best!" Sora said with an affirmative nod. "Why 'Cuddles'?"

"Comes with the job," Riku shrugged. "Every nurse has a name here... Nurse Sweety-Pie, Nurse Wuv, Nurse Tickles... I could go on."

"That seems weird," Sora couldn't help but chortle a little. "Did they at least explain why you have to have nicknames?"

"This is an all-gay hospital... we treat our patients with rainbows, unicorns, love and care!" The line was said in a playful, lispy tone. Riku even posed, crossing his legs and waving a hand in a girly salute.

Sora couldn't himself as he laughed until he snorted. It just sounded so ridiculous, coming from a guy who looked more like a biker rather than a prissy nurse.

"I'm kidding," Riku smiled. "The nicknames are for the kids. This is primarily a children's hospital."

"Ah," Sora nodded again as he came down from his amused high. The laughing, though it did make his whole body feel lighter, caused a sudden pulse in his head. He used his free hand to gently rub at his forehead, groaning softly from the ache in his brain.

"Are we feeling any better?" Riku asked as he stood back up from the chair with kindness and genuine concern- the way any nurse should sound with a patient. The needle he brought into the room loaded with a clear liquid was still very visible in his hand as he approached. "Or does it still hurt?"

As Riku approached Sora's vision first caught on the exotic green of the nurse's eyes, and the question was lost for a moment... But the last rays of light from the window glinted off the tiny metal of the needle just enough for Sora to finally notice it-

And to realize in that same horrible second that Riku was approaching him with it.

A panicked screech was what came out instead of words. Sora nearly toppled off the bed in his scramble to back away from the needle drawing ever closer- staring at the small thing with as much horror as a victim in a horror movie close to the fatal stab.

Riku stopped quickly and took a large step back.

"I-I- " Sora noted the confusion and quickly back-petaled. He sat normally in the bed, even smoothing the sheets out a little, and gave a tiny flash of teeth between two nervously smiling lips. "Sorry... I just hate needles... I'm okay, I promise! No need to prick this patient- I promise!"

"Prick you?" Riku blinked. "No, this is for your I.V. Its morphine, if you're still hurting?"

"Oh," Sora blinked. The blush that had crossed his face before was nothing compared to the deep red of shame that formed a bridge from cheek to cheek over his nose at that instant.

Riku seemed like he was about to say something comforting, but Sora spoke up again before he could.

_This is my fault, so I'll change the subject!_

Sora looked up at the other with a grin wide enough to stretch his whole face. Somehow, it made his already boyish features seem even younger.

"Thanks, Riku! I owe you my life!"

"Eh?" Riku laughed, placing the needle on a medical tray on the bedside table. "Nonono, it's my job."

"Still, thank you," Sora turned back to his arm and began to gently take out the I.V. "But I need to get going... My friends must be worried. Probably think I'm dead!"

"I don't think so," Riku said casually as he pulled Sora's hand away from the I.V. "You aren't going anywhere until we have you checked out, understand? After a fall like that we have to make sure there aren't going to be any lasting consequences."

Sora laid back with a small laugh as Riku pushed him down.

"I'll be fine! You're worrying for nothing. Last time all three of us, me and my two co-workers, were blown out of a third story window and I landed on a pile of rocks! After that we were banned from the main science building... Heh."

"I... see," Riku replied with amused disbelief at the brunette's attitude. _Is he serious? He seems sincere, but that's so... crazy. Rocks? Out of a third floor window? Really?_ "Well, that's just more reason to have you examined, then."

Riku flicked Sora's nose playfully, which caused the brunette to pout.

"Riku... How long am I going to stay here?"

"Until I give the clear," Riku stood from his chair as he spoke and straightened his scrubs. "It'll be at least a few hours... First come exams and then the doctor will want to see you."

"Ugh... Do I at least get to call someone, officer?"

"Of course you can. Here, use my cell."

Riku dug into the pocket in his pants for a second before pulling out a cell phone and handing it to the brunette.

"Thanks!"

Sora quickly dialed the first number that came to mind as soon as the device was in hand. It took a lot of energy to keep from thinking about how often Riku's face and lips have brushed this phone as he raised it to his ear.

"Hey, Tidus, it's So- Ow! No, I am not dead- what? Professor, how did you get this cell? I know you're just concerned, but please stop yelling! Hah, thank you. Yes... Uh huh... Tomorrow? But- Yes, I understand. What? Oh... I'll try."

"So what's up?" Riku asked as Sora hung up the phone and handed it back with a deep sigh.

"That was my boss. Apparently I'm going to be kicked off the project if I can't make it in tomorrow morning... We're being rushed, I guess."

Sora shrugged slowly, moving to look out the window.

"Ah," Riku pocketed his phone with a sympathetic smile. "I'm sorry, but I'm sure you'll be able to make it. Just remember: your health comes first, so don't stress too much about it."

Riku turned to grab the needle from the tray, knocking over a box of tissues with his elbow in the process. The silverette sighed and bent down from the waist to grab the little box. The scrubs stretched across his backside as he leaned down.

Sora couldn't help but look. It was only a few seconds but even that short amount of time was more than enough to cause the brunette's face to burn. Sora quickly smacked his face to force his eyes away.

Riku blinked and turned to look back at Sora after hearing the sound of the brunette's cheek being clapped. He quirked one fine, silver brow.

"Are you feeling alright?" He asked as he stood back up and placed the little box on the dresser beside the bed.

There was a nervous laugh as hesitant blue eyes returned their gaze to the silverette.

"Ye-Yeah... I'm just feeling a little hot, I think. Is the air conditioner on?"

"Yes, it is. Maybe you have a fever?"

Riku pressed sensitive skin of his wrist to Sora's forehead.

"AAAHHHH!" Sora accidentally screamed as his forehead was touched. His heart was hammering fast against his chest.

"I mean," he said as he recovered from the shock, "I... I'm not homophobic or anything- not saying you're gay or anything if you aren't- it's just you're kind of hot- I MEAN, kind of close! TOO CLOSE! Not saying you aren't hot, because I'm sure many people find you attractive- but not saying that I- "

Riku blinked at the brunette's panicked sputtering. He smiled again as he let his hand fall back to his side.

"Whatever you say."

Riku lifted up a thick, tan cord with what appeared to be a speaker on the end. He handed it to Sora, or rather placed it over one of the sidebars of the bed.

"I need to check on other patients now, but you can always press this button if you need something," Riku pointed out a large red button on the remote. "This is also the remote for the television. I'll be back with your dinner, okay?"

Riku waved good-bye and gave a parting smile as he left the room without waiting for a response. Not that the brunette could muster up the right words of response in his current state anyway... As his nurse left Sora was watching the way Riku's hips would sway just a little with every step, and felt deeply ashamed of how hard it was not to stare. He was glad the silverette was too busy thinking of work to turn back and notice. Once he knew for sure he was in the clear Sora groaned, closed his eyes tight, and turned toward the ceiling with a deep frown.

__Great... I have a hard-on for my nurse... Wonderful...__

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><p>Read, please review, and no flames.<p> 


	2. It Gets Rough From Here

It was a little over an hour after Riku had left the room to resume his duties as nurse when he finally had the chance to return and check up on Sora. In his hands he held a plastic tray with two paper bags clearly labeled as having been picked up from one of the local greasy food joints versus the usual tasteless slop posing as real food that patients usually get. The silverette carried it carefully through the crowded corridors toward the brunette's room with a gentle smile and a soft hum.

_I hope he likes curly fries_, Riku thought as he opened the door without the slightest inkling that something terribly wrong was happening inside.

During his nurse's absence Sora had kept himself extremely busy. So busy, it seemed, he had found himself a complete nurse's uniform (a few sizes too big, as indicated by the shoelace acting as a buckle at his hip) and somehow found a way to force the sealed window of his room open. Riku entered just in time to see half of the scrawny brunette hanging out the window, one foot on the narrow sill.

The tray nearly hit the floor from sudden shock.

Sora didn't notice Riku had returned, not with his attentions marked solely on the task at hand: that being climbing out of the window without falling down the three stories to the street and further hurting himself. With his concentration singularly fixed he had no clue of the nurse behind him who stood slacked jawed under the archway.

Riku almost threw the tray onto the bedside table as he darted from the door to the window. The silverette grabbed Sora by his calf with both broad hands and a tight grip, which caused the brunette to jump with surprise so violently his foot nearly slipped.

"What the _hell_ do you think you're doing!? Are you insane!?"

"AHH! R-Riku!" Sora screeched as he was grabbed. "What are you thinking!? I'm on a third floor ledge here!"

"I can see that," Riku growled as his fingers tightened until they were nearly bruising. The nurse gave a great jerk to force Sora back into the room.

Sora fell back from the sill in a heap on the floor. Riku fell to his already abused backside with a frustrated grunt. Even after pulling the brunette from the window one hand held firm to his patient's leg to keep the brunette from escaping.

"Ow! Riku, what was that for!?"

"Me? 'What was that for'!? Are you _crazy_!?"

Sora's face blossomed with sudden shame as he was yelled at. He tried to smile apologetically, but it felt too awkward to maintain and quickly melted away into a guilty pout under the gaze of Riku's intense glare.

"I-I'm not crazy... I just- "

"- We'll go with dimwitted, then," Riku growled out, "Just what were you thinking!? You could have killed yourself!"

"I am not dimwitted," Sora murmured as he moved to stand up. He dusted off his pants and shirt as Riku followed suit; the silver haired nurse glaring daggers.

Riku crossed his arms as Sora turned to face him with clasped hands and pleading eyes.

"I couldn't help it! We're using a legal human guinea pig tomorrow!" Sora was practically hopping on his feet. "This guy is supposed to have over six different mental disorders and he's given us permission to study him! We can even take skin and brain tissue samples __**directly from the source**__! Well, the brain sample part will have to be taken by a professional surgeon upon confirmation and several safety tests... but still!"

Sora took Riku by the shoulders with an urgent grip and began to shake him, despite the threatening twitch in the nurse's brow.

"This is the pinnacle of my career! What I've been dreaming of! I can't miss it!"

"That's too damn bad!"

Sora squeaked with surprise as he was suddenly thrown over Riku's shoulder and carried back to his hospital bed. With a grunt and another unexpected jerk Sora was dropped onto the thin mattress like a sack of potatoes. The silverette had just enough time to throw over, lock, and tighten restraints over Sora's thighs and ankles from below the medical cot before the brunette could realize what was happening. The brunette immediately began to squirm once his brain finally caught up with the situation. He flung his arms about and attempted to kick his legs, which forced Riku to pin him down in order to finish the job. He used his broad chest to weigh down Sora's torso as he strapped one arm at a time to the bed frame.

"That should hold you," Riku said as he stood straight again with a frustrated sigh. He pushed his loosened bangs back behind his ears as he peered down at Sora's meager attempts to pull away from the straps.

It was a solid minute of tugging and frantic wiggling before Sora finally calmed down and turned to pout like a five year old at the nurse instead. His cheeks were inflated like a chipmunk's.

"Why not? I'm obviously okay!" Sora huffed and began to squirm around again. "Riiiiiiku!"

"Stop whining," Riku scolded. "If you had stayed in bed, I might have let you out today."

Sora stopped struggling to whimper like a puppy, his eyes growing huge and watery with practiced skill.

"I didn't know that…! You made it sound like I would be here a week at least! That alone should make me eligible for release!"

Riku had to jerk his eyes away. He moved to walk around the bed, heading for the fast food he had set aside before.

"That look isn't going to work," Riku replied firmly, "you're staying here."

"But why? If I'm all better, what's the reason for keeping me?" Sora asked, wriggling around until his wrists were raw. He stopped struggling with a huff, frowning at Riku.

Riku was busy organizing the food in the bags. He took out three hamburgers and three sets of curly fries. Sora hadn't been watching, now staring at the window sadly… until his nose got a whiff of something delicious. He turned to see the food, grinning wide.

"Curly fries? I love curly fries!"

"Good. That's for lunch," Riku said, feeling a little calmer.

Sora watched Riku take the food out, carefully adjusting himself around.

"How am I going to eat, Riku?"

"I'm going to feed you," was the simple reply as Riku walked over to the bed, placing the food tray on Sora's stomach, "and just for today's little stunt, I am __not__letting you out of my sight."

Sora slumped back against the bed with a sigh.

"You knew I was going to wriggle out, didn't you?" He asked in a mutter.

"Of course," Riku smiled, picking up a curly fry and offering it to Sora.

Sora pouted again, but instantly grinned as the thought of being trapped in a hospital left him in favor of the curly fry that was being shoved in his face. He instantly opened his mouth for it.

"See, not so bad, eh?" Riku said as he fed Sora the fry, dropping it into his mouth.

Sora happily chewed away on it, but a sudden thought occurred that made his brow quirk into his hairline.

"But... why? Do nurses usually get their patient restaurant food? I don't mean I mind, but I had expected icky pudding and mystery meat."

"The food here is gross," Riku said with a frown, "why, do you like pudding and mystery meat?"

Sora wrinkled his nose.

"Goodness NO!"

"Mystery solved, then," Riku said, feeding Sora another fry.

Sora ate it, knowing full well right then and there he wouldn't be given a real answer. Then again, what was there to question?

__I just had a horrible fall and was miraculously okay. On top of that, he saved me! Riku probably just feels like he should take care of me… like a lost kitten or puppy you know you can't keep but want to love anyway___._

"Mmm!" Sora said with a purr, "can you please untie me? Fries are one thing, but the burger is another, and I smell a triple paddy with the works!"

"If you promise to behave," Riku said flatly, giving the brunette a look of suspicion.

"Yes, yes," Sora grumbled out, gently hitting his head on the metal railing next to it childishly.

"Don't give yourself a concussion or you stay _longer_," Riku said, standing up and unbuckling the straps on Sora's wrists. Everything else stayed restrained.

"Oh, it was barely a clank!" Sora argued, sticking his tongue out at Riku as he was unstrapped.

"Why not my legs?" He questioned as he started to reach for the wrapping that still held his burger in it. "Mm! I smell grilled onions! And pepper-jack!"

"The pepper jack is for my boss," Riku said as he handed Sora his food. "The triple patty is yours and this little cheese burger is mine."

Sora pouted, but took his burger all the same with a smile.

"Thanks! Not many nurses are willing to spend their own money and go out to get actual food for their patients. I bet everyone who gets you loves you to death!" Sora stated, taking such a big bite, half the burger was gone in an instant.

__I wonder if he buys his boss's food with his own money to… or maybe it was just a run? …What if he likes his boss and he uses food to suck up to him?__

"I guess you could say that," Riku said with a small shrug. "My boss will be coming in soon to check on you. He's the head nurse."

Sora nodded dumbly.

__Dammit, he's your nurse! You're a science geek... Hot guys with equally hot piercings are ___beyond___ your league! He'd never want you___, _Sora thought as he took a moment to eye Riku's lip rings, suddenly wanting to know what they tasted like. __DAMMIT, DIDN'T I SAY STOP THINKING LIKE THAT?__

"Why is he checking on me?"

"He makes his rounds," Riku said, shrugging. "Just to make sure that everyone is doing their jobs and such."

Sora nodded. He eyed his large, three patty burger wondering if Riku would get in trouble for bringing him food. Just in case, he decided to take no chances and quickly stuffed the rest of his burger into his mouth. It took only a few seconds for him to swallow that down, and then quickly breathe in his fries. In the end, only a small splash of mayo was left staining his bottom lip.

"Thanks, Nurse Riku."

"No problem. And you can just call me 'Riku'," the nurse said as he reached out a hand, wiping the mayo away from Sora's lips with his thumb.

Sora's tongue betrayed him by sticking out and licking Riku's finger. Riku stared at Sora a moment after his thumb had been licked, which was exactly when Sora realized what he had done. He blossomed red all over his face, his eyes wide in horror.

__I JUST LICKED HIM! Oh dear land, why did I lick him!?__

Riku smiled softly after a few seconds, licking his own finger. There was a tiny bit of mayo still there.

"Love mayo," was the only response as he stood to throw away the burger wrappers and the fry container. He placed the remaining burger back on the tray and put the tray on the bedside table, continuing his duties as though nothing unusual had just happened.

Sora attempted to hide behind his hands, shaking his head. He sighed, rubbing his face down slowly.

"You know," Sora began, after he was sure he was able to speak without stuttering, "I've been in so many accidents... but this is the first time I've actually been to a hospital. Normally Cid would do it all himself. He even made my leg a home-made cast when I broke it after being shoved out of a hotel room window."

"What?" Riku blinked, turning around to stare at Sora. "You broke your leg? And you've never been to a hospital?"

"Nope."

"… And some guy named 'Cid' made you a home-made cast for it?"

"Yep."

"Uh huh. Right," Riku pulled out his cell phone.

"Who are you calling?"

"The x-ray room."

"What?" Sora jumped back up in bed, or as far as his waist restraints would allow him. "Why?"

"You need to have your leg checked, that's why," Riku said firmly, dialing the number. "You're in a hospital anyway, so I'm having it checked."

"What! I don't need an x-ray! If it healed wrong, I would have known! It would be bothering me!" Sora said, waving his hands around frantically. "And besides, a broken bone is __not__a big deal!"

"Not a big deal?" Riku shook his head. "Of course it's a big deal! What if you become crippled at an old age?"

"Riku, why are you so worked up? A broken bone is _nothing _compared to what I'm used to," Sora laughed. "If that's true, I'm already screwed for life! Don't waste the hospital's resources on me!"

"You're not talking your way out of this."

"No! What if I get radiation poisoning!?" Sora's voice had changed a few pitches higher, his eyes as wide as dinner plates. "Oh, please don't, Riku! Please, please, PLEASE! I'm okay! I lied, it was a joke! HA HA HA!"

Sora got out of his bed and began to hop around on what could be assumed to be the once injured leg.

"See? Fine! It's fine! No worries, just peachy, no need for worry!"

"Get back in bed!" Riku scolded, grabbing Sora and tossing him back to the bed. He tied him up again. "How did you get out of your restraints? You said you'd behave!"

"That was before you mentioned the evils of X-RAY!" Sora squirmed around furiously, pulling at his wrists. "Hospitals are not equipped with proper x-ray equipment, and though most could get thirty-six examinations in a single day and still be fine, there's still that last sum that could get the sickness _and I could be one of those last sum_!"

"You freak out _way_ too much," Riku frowned, "an X-ray is _not_ going to kill you. You know the statistics, so the _idea _that you might get sick from one exam is ridiculous."

Riku moved to grab his phone again. He had dropped it while struggling with Sora.

"Just calm down, you'll be fine."

"I have a reason for every phobia so I'm not naturally crazy," Sora felt the need to explain. He nodded to his own words. "It's why I study the human mind."

"Psychology?" Riku asked, sitting back on the edge of the bed.

"Something like that, I guess," Sora said, averting his eyes toward the window.

"... I see."

Riku sighed, shaking his hair out.

"However, phobia or not, I'm arranging an x-ray. I'll have you put under if I have to."

Sora whined, looking back at Riku.

"But why? I'm fine, honestly! Are you sure you want to do this? I may mistake it for you being in-love with me or something, and if I do I'll stalk you! I'm a very dangerous individual! Every time you look behind you- BAM! There I am with that crazy look on my face!"

"I'll take my chances."

"I'll call Cid on you!" Sora said, trying to look threatening. That's when he realized, "wait! You might know him! He's a doctor! __A doctor__! So, technically, I never needed to go to a hospital!"

"You're still getting x-rayed." Riku said, looking down at Sora with a frown. "How do I even know he's a real doctor? What if he's just some guy you met in a back alley for an el-cheapo treatment? Now stop wriggling around or I'll sedate you."

Sora sighed and forced himself to relax, not liking the idea of a needle.

"Don't I... Don't I have to," he blushed again, "get... naked?"

"You'll be wearing a gown," Riku pat Sora's head comfortingly, "and I think one of my co-workers will need his uniform back."

Sora chuckled sheepishly, his eyes darting to the closet near the door.

"So you know, he's unconscious in the closet. I figured he wouldn't let me burrow his clothes and I couldn't go running back to work basically naked."

"Thanks for doing him the favor," Riku chuckled.

Sora chuckled back, just getting comfortable now.

"So… what about your boss? Isn't he visiting or something?"

"He'll be here soon enough," Riku waved a dismissive hand. "It's easy to know when he's coming."

"Oh, Why?"

"Because there'll be a lot of girlish squealing."

"Girlish squealing? Why?"

Riku shrugged.

"He's made a fan of every girl in the hospital. Even the older ladies. How, I'd rather not explain."

Sure enough, there was a loud wave of women giggling growing steadily louder down the hall. Sora blinked at the door.

"Right on time?" Sora turned back to Riku, only getting another shrug.

Riku moved to stand back up, adjusting his clothes.

"What's he like? Will he be expecting anything in particular?"

"He's nice... just..." Riku paused. "Well, he's kind of hard to explain."

The door suddenly burst open. A tall, skinny man with spiked-back red hair stepped inside. He was smirking lopsidedly; his eyes the color of glowing venom and snake-like. There was an upside-down tear drop tattoo under each eye. His skin was as pale as a ghost, especially with his bright, red hair surrounding his narrow face. He wore red scrubs and his name-tag was hanging on a short lanyard instead of attached to his top.

"Good afternoon," his voice matched his face; sarcastic undertone, smug, and a little evil. "How are we today, Mr. Islands?"

"I... I'm fine."

Sora gulped, blinking at the tall man. Though the red-head was almost dangerously thin (it was obvious he had an insanely tiny waist, even in somewhat loose scrubs) the way his sharp eyes looked down on Sora as he approached the hospital bed was rather intimidating.

"I'm the head nurse here," the man began in his deep voice, "call me 'Nurse Hugs-and-Hearts'," though the man seemed about as happy with his nickname as Riku had been with his. "How is Nurse Cuddles treating you? Good, I hope?"

Sora nodded dumbly.

"Uh, yes sir," Sora said, but it was almost too quiet to hear.

"Good good…"

"It's okay, sir. The cutesy kid names kind of creep him out," Riku suddenly said, laughing. "What's with the sociopath act? You're talking like you're going to make him watch slides of your vacation and then gut him."

"What?" The Head Nurse replied, flipping the papers on Sora's charts. He quirked one fine, red brow. "I thought I was acting perfectly nice."

"You are being nice, you're just talking strangely. And what's with the smirk?"

"I always talk this way, though perhaps I'm just in a good mood," The Head Nurse shrugged, smirking again. It was incredibly lopsided and showed his teeth, which seemed sharp from that angle. "I was smiling, not smirking."

"Ouch."

"Well my admirers have never complained. They think I'm hot with a capital H. O. T."

Sora snorted suddenly, watching the two nurses interact. They were like brothers or best friends, not employee and boss.

"You two are silly," Sora said as they turned to him, grinning wide.

The Head Nurse walked closer to the bed, using a simple lipped smile instead of the grin that apparently wasn't a creepy smirk.

"Call me Axel, then. A-X-E-L," Axel said, setting Sora's charts against his hip. "I'm the nurse with the-old-man-hair's boss and I'll be over looking your stay and will be deciding on Riku's recommendation when you'll be leaving. Got it memorized?"

Sora nodded, a little more confident than before.

"So," Axel began as he quirked a brow at Sora's position. He turned to Riku. "Why is the patient tied up?"

"He wouldn't behave," Riku said, giving Sora a firm, flat stare. Sora smiled nervously in return.

"I see," Axel said, shrugging with indifference. "Whatever floats your boat as long as we aren't going to be sued."

Axel moved to sit in a nearby chair, plopping right into it. It wasn't a plastic thing, it was a lounge chair meant for family members. He made himself comfortable, spreading his legs and scratching his crotch without bothering to hide it.

"Man, if I knew I'd be transferred here, then I would have dropped med school…"

"What happened today?" Riku moved to hand Axel his burger and fries on the tray, which the red-head took with another odd smile.

"Xemnas. Need I say more?"

Riku rolled his eyes as he walked back to Sora's bedside and moved to tuck the boy in. The blanket had long since fallen off to the floor so he had to pick it back up, ruffle it out, and then cover the brunette back up. Sora smiled as he was gently tucked in, having felt a little chilly.

"What did he do this time?"

"He tried convincing some of the nurses, including me, into a game of 'lights-out-booty-grab'," Axel rolled his sharp eyes while shaking his head. "I had to remind him of last year's sexual harassment law suit."

"Xemnas is, and always will be, a pervert." Riku said dully.

"Who is Xemnas? Another nurse?" Sora asked, looking between the two. Yet, almost as soon as he had asked about it, he regretted it.

__First it'll be all about how their boss is a perve and the things he's done, and then I'll be told all about the affairs around the hospital like some screwed-up soap opera… Then I'll get to hear all about how Riku has been screwed more times than years I've been alive in the past ___month___-__

"He had a thing for you," Axel said with a laugh. "I still don't get why you're such a prude around here. I mean, I get why you keep rejecting Xemnas, but there are a few hot asses around here. Guy and girl."

"Shut up, Axel," Riku rolled his eyes. "We have a patient in here. And there's nothing wrong with having standards above 'are they screwable? Yes? Alright then'."

Sora sighed to himself, feeling miser-

__Wait, prude?__

Sora's eyes snapped over to Riku when he heard, wide with shock. An instant later he realized what he had just done and tried to play it off as a sudden spasm of the neck. He jerking it the other way to, and then rubbed his neck.

"You okay?" Riku asked, blinking at Sora. His big hands were under Sora's torso as he pushed the blanket in under him.

"You have him all excited," Axel teased again.

"Shut up, Axel."

"My neck... It's just acting a little weird, is all," Sora said, hoping they'd buy it. He blushed at Axel's comment, glad his face couldn't be seen since as it was facing the other way from the red-head.

"Here," Riku stood up straight once he was done tucking. He couldn't move behind the brunette, so as his hands moved in toward Sora's neck the brunette almost thought Riku was going to choke him or something. Instead, the nurse gently began to massage Sora's shoulders and around his collar-bone.

Sora's face burned as he tried not to stare up at Riku, though it was hard with the nurse staring right down at him and standing so close. He was glad one of the straps happened to be over his lap so his growing "problem" couldn't be seen.

"The next thing you know he's taking off your clothes," Axel said quietly with a dark chuckle.

Sora chose to ignore Axel, smiling like a content kitten.

"I feel like I'm getting the royal treatment here! Are all of you this nice to patients?"

"Of course," Riku said softly, running his thumbs up the length of Sora's naturally tan neck.

Axel rolled his eyes with a snort. Riku shot him a warning glare.

"I've never been in a hospital before today… I wasn't even born in one. I should come more often," Sora joked lightly.

"Feel free."

"Yes, Riku would like that," Axel laughed, leaning back against his chair.

Sora relaxed under Riku's talented hands. His eyes began to slip the more comfortable he became.

"Kind of wish I was born in one now... instead of some hotel elevator," he mumbled, so quietly only Riku was able to hear.

"A hotel elevator?" Riku asked as Sora began to fall asleep.

"Mmhm," Sora sighed out, giving a slow nod. "The Grande Hilton Hotel… east elevator..."

"I see.." Riku slowed his hands down, moving lower to massage down Sora's forearms.

Sora breathed lightly as his head snuggled back into his pillow. The last thing he heard just before completely falling into a deep sleep was Axel chuckling.

* * *

><p>I always feel awkward when I write Axel since he's a fairly complex character. I never feel like I'm writing him correctly.<p> 


	3. Phone Calls

Okay, this chapter gets a little nuts so it's super important that everyone remembers not to take anything seriously!

I keep getting reviews and private messages about how "this isn't possible" and "how could he not be injured?" and such. This is a silly fiction not meant to be taken 100% seriously.

Just read the author notes. I won't be answering anymore questions about it.

* * *

><p>As Sora fell asleep, Riku slowly slipped his hands away. He pulled the covers up to Sora's chest and tucked it under him securely.<p>

"…"

Riku stared down at Sora's sweet face as he snoozed peacefully for a few seconds before slowly standing back up.

"He's cute," Axel cooed quietly.

Riku carefully undid the straps and wrist restraints as he saw Sora squirm a little in his sleep. He rubbed both the brunette's wrists to soothe any burns.

"Mm," Riku replied at last as he finished tending to the patient and stretched his back out. He smiled as Sora turned on his side, apparently a fetal position sleeper.

"He's… kind of spazzy."

"You certainly don't seem to mind," Axel waggled his brows at Riku, earning him a glare.

"He's a patient. That would be against hospital protocol," Riku said, very professionally, but there was a definite hint of pink in his hansom face.

"You know," Axel changed the subject easily as he checked over Sora's charts again, "he has no serious injuries. No broken bones, fractures, concussion… He only has some bad bruising and scratches."

"… And?"

"So why is he still here?"

"I'm going to have him x-rayed," Riku said simply, taking up his tiny sandwich at last. He un-wrapped his puny burger with his back to Axel and began to eat.

"Why?"

"He apparently broke his leg and never had it properly checked. After a huge fall like that I thought it best to get his legs x-rayed before he leaves."

"I see," Axel ate his curly fries slowly as he watched Riku's back. "… Also a great excuse… to keep him here longer."

Riku coughed on his burger before jerking his head to his boss. It took a moment for Riku swallow properly.

"Wh-What?"

"Oh, nothing," Axel assured sarcastically while crossing his legs. "Just don't do anything I wouldn't do."

"What __wouldn't__you do, though?"

"True. Flip that around then; don't do anything I __would __do."

Riku shook his head and then quickly finished off his sandwich. Just as he was throwing the wrapper away he heard a ringing coming from the table next to Axel. Though they were mostly destroyed all Sora's belongings had been kept in a neat pile over a small dresser in the back of the room meant for patients. On top of the pile of half-burned clothes was a little cell phone. It vibrated wildly as it sang a cute little tune.

"Weird, I thought this was broken," Riku said, curiously walking over and flipping the phone open. The screen read "Leon". "Hello?"

There was a sigh of annoyance on the other end.

"You're not Sora."

"No, I'm not," Riku frowned. "I'm his nurse. He's asleep. Can I take a message?"

"Just tell him the new vict- volunteer has arrived and we are conducting first impressions. If he can't make it back to interview the guy today the subject has agreed to meet him early tomorrow. Eight sharp," and with that Leon hung up.

Riku committed the message to memory and closed the phone.

"What a dick," Riku murmured to himself as he replaced the phone over the scrapped clothes.

"Who was it?"

"The phone said 'Leon'. It sounded like he's Sora's co-worker," Riku turned back to the boy on the bed.

"You worried he's competition?"

"Shut up, Axel."

Sora's cell began to go off again. The little screen blipped to life and began to sing loudly. Sora barely stirred in the bed, which prompted Riku to quickly pick it up.

"Oh boy, it's his mom this time," Riku said as he answered the phone. "Hello, Mrs. Islands?"

"MY POOR BABY!" Came the shrill cry of Sora's mother. She sounded a little clogged, as if she might be choking on her own cries. "Is he okay? Did he have an operation? Where is he? Is he stable? _Oh land, he's dead, isn't he? He's dead and I'll never see my little boy ever AGAIN!_"

"Mrs. Islands!" Riku called, trying to be heard over her shouting. "Calm down! Your son is fine! He's just asleep."

There was a shattering breath on the other side of the phone. Riku could hear her blowing her nose out on the other side.

"Who is this anyway?" She asked with a smile in her voice. She sounded totally calm and happy. "I knew this couldn't be Sora, his voice isn't quite as deep. How come you have his cell phone?"

"He's at the hospital. I'm his nurse," Riku said politely. "He's just resting, as I've told you."

"Resting?" Her voice began to stretch again. "As in… As in _**DEAD**_?"

"No!" Riku yelped, holding the phone away from his ear with a wince. "No! Resting as in __sleeping__! He's just taking a nap! No, not a dirt nap!"

Riku's cell began to shake in his pocket just as he was struggling to calm Sora's mother down again. He let out a long sigh as he quickly pulled his phone out while holding the cell with the hysterical woman away from his ear a second. He tossed his phone to Axel.

"Hello, this is Axel Dance, Head Nurse in charge at Hollow Bastion Medical Facility."

"Ma'am, listen to me! Sora is _fine_. I'll be sure to have him call you as soon as he wakes up. Yes, he will wake up," a second line began to blink and beep on Sora's cell phone. "Alright, yes. Okay, have a nice day ma'am."

Riku switched lines, once again having to hold the phone away from his ear. On the other line was the voice of Tidus and another male he was struggling over the phone with that had a bad islander accent. They were arguing with each other and asking Riku questions, both trying to be louder than the other to be heard.

"Mr. Wise! Please calm down!" Axel was practically shouting as if over some loud traffic. "I understand! Yes! He is just fine! Yes! No, he is not dead! He's sleeping! No! Yes! Okay! Bye!"

Axel sighed as he closed Riku's phone, shaking his head.

"Apparently, that was Sora's boss. Is everyone around this kid insane?"

Riku's phone began to jiggle in Axel's hand again just in time for another line to pop up on Sora's phone while Riku was still trying to figure out what Tidus and his friend were saying.

"Uh, Axel? We're having a small problem at the Nurse's station," said a young woman through the intercom.

Axel stood up and walked over to the intercom, choosing (quite wisely) to ignore Riku's phone. He set it to mute as it continued to ring and pressed the button for the intercom.

"What is it?"

"Um," began the young lady, sounding a little exasperated, "we have, like, fifteen calls coming in for Mr. Islands."

Axel quirked a brow in surprise and then turned to look at Riku. They stared at each other, equally shocked. Riku decided it was wisest to hang the phone up on the boys.

"Tell everyone he's fine. Don't mention he's asleep, just let them know he's… he's at his x-rays and he's alive," Riku replied to the intercom.

"Or ignore them, I don't care which," Axel added while rubbing his forehead gently.

"I told them he's resting, but they just think that means he's dead! When we try to ignore them they end up holding up all the lines!" There was another phone call in the background, which the nurse on the intercom answered, "hello? What! How dare you fake a heart attack so you can speak to him! Dear god..."

The intercom signed off.

"The kid's popular." Axel said, giving Riku a sympathetic smile. "Just like you were in high school, except it's not swarms of girls ready for a romp."

"I didn't date that many girls…"

"I'm sorry, remind me... How many STD scares did you have again?"

"That is not cool to bring that up."

"Just admit it, you were a whore in school. In truth, it's kind of surprising you haven't touched anyone in years."

"What if the patient hears you?"

"That's another thing; when did you turn gay? I guess that part isn't so weird, but it's almost more surprising you'd be so into this kid than you avoiding sex, with the standards you used to have."

"I… I just… He's- "

Sora's phone began to ring again. Riku rolled his eyes before growling at the little thing.

"Ah, shit," Riku said, moving to hand Axel Sora's phone as well. "Can you cover for me?"

Axel examined Riku's face a moment, suddenly frowning. Riku's face was as cold as ever, but his eyes were clearly sad. He moved to take the phone, stuffing both that and Riku's cell into his pockets.

"Sure, but you owe me. A lot more than a pepper-jack burger," Axel began to munch on his ignored sandwich as he stood up. He handed Riku his radio and then walked to the door.

"If you haven't called in his x-ray, do it now."

Riku nodded, and then watched his boss leave. He heard rustling coming from the bed behind him, which prompted him to turn just in time to see Sora stretching in bed. He smiled.

__He is really cute… even his stretching face.__

"Wuzzal the noise about?" Sora asked sleepily, flopping down across the bed. He smiled warmly at Riku. He slid his hands and arms under his head under the pillow. "Where did Axel go?"

"He had other duties to attend to. He _is _the Head Nurse," Riku replied while walking over to the bed. He ruffled Sora's hair, noting how soft it was.

Sora laughed, playfully swatting at Riku's hand.

"So," Sora began as he snuggled back into his hospital bed, "did I get any calls?"

"**No**," Riku growled irritably, which made Sora jump with shock. The brunette blinked at him in surprise.

"Um, oops. Sorry.. Just having a rough day with technology."

Sora tilted his head at him.

"What happened?"

"Nothing," Riku pat Sora's head again. "Just go back to sleep."

Riku certainly didn't seem like he was in any mood to deal with nonsense, so Sora just relaxed into the bed as best he could. Yet, he was wide-awake now. He turned to look at Riku, watching him rub his temples roughly like he had a bad headache.

__Hmm__, Sora thought as he watched Riku. He was just able to keep himself from sighing dreamily at the poor, stressed nurse. __I wonder if I'll ever see him again after today… If I were more of a masochist I might wonder if there was a way to stay longer.__

Sora sighed, feeling confused and a little lost as his eyes began to close despite being so awake.

Riku bit his piercing.

__Dammit… __

Riku moved to sit on the edge of Sora's bed, looking down at him.

"Really, I'm sorry."

"For what?" Sora asked, opening his eyes and smiling again. He chuckled. "For keeping me hostage? I forgive you."

"I'm not sorry for that," Riku laughed, "but I am sorry for snapping at you."

"I didn't consider that too bad a snap so it's okay," Sora assured, patting Riku's hand that still sat on his shoulder. "I hear worse daily from my co-workers."

"Still… Just a lot of stuff going on at once."

"You're not sorry for keeping me here longer than necessary?" Sora asked playfully. "I keep telling you, my leg is fine."

"I'm worried. Excuse my crazy nurse side," Riku said with a musing smile.

"I'm guessing I really did get some calls," Sora chuckled, though he had a nervous smile.

"... Plenty." Riku twitched, but kept his temper this time. "I had the receptionist take messages."

"Anything important?"

"Yes, one at least," Riku began, absently petting Sora's arm. "Your co-worker Leon called. He said they were conducting second interviews with the volunteer at eight in the morning tomorrow."

"Second interviews?"

"Yes. He said the subject okayed it."

"Ah, thanks."

The intercom came on again, but this time it sounded more like an accidental call.

"_Dear land_, does that kid have some weird fanclub or something?"

And it shut off again.

"Ouch," Sora chuckled through a wince.

"Yeah," Riku rubbed the back of his neck.

"Sorry," Sora began nervously. "It's weird how everyone likes to ignore me most of the time, and then whenever the slightest bad thing happens to me- bam! They all get worried and start to stalk me at once."

"They care, that's all," Riku finally smiled. "You're a loved person... That's never a bad thing."

Sora blushed and grinned like a five year old that was told they would grow up to be a model.

"Thanks," Sora said sheepishly as he tried to rub the blush out of his cheeks. "When do I get x-rayed? Not that I want to rush to it, but I would rather it be done sooner than later."

"I haven't had the chance to call them yet," Riku moved to get up from the bed, turning Axel's radio on.

"Hello, Station One? This is Nurse Riku using Axel's radio."

"This is Station One, go ahead."

"I need to schedule an x-ray for a patient's leg."

"We won't have an opening for another two hours."

"I have an idea," Sora said slowly, tapping his chin as he looked at Riku. "Why don't I just come back tomorrow? Get x-rayed then?"

Riku gave Sora a warning look before responding with a quick, "that's fine. See you in two hours," and turning the radio off again.

"But why? I'll come back, I swear!"

"People with phobias tend to run. I'm keeping you here, so stop that."

"I... I do not have a phobia! X-rays are great! Go radiation poisoning!"

Sora's eye had twitched at that. He tried his puppy face again; watering his eyes and sticking his bottom lip out.

"No," Riku said firmly, somehow immune to that face. "You're staying. Now behave before I tie you up again."

"I am behaving, just arguing my side."

"Then stop arguing and go back to sleep."

Sora grumbled, laying back across the bed and crossing his arms stubbornly.

"...Can't sleep now..."

"Do you want me to feed you warm milk and sing you a lullaby?" Riku cooed sarcastically, sitting back on the edge of Sora's bed. He poked Sora's cheek with a smirk.

Sora couldn't help but pout as Riku messed with him, his bottom lip sticking out.

"Unless you mean making me a White Russian and talking dirty to me while I get drunk, no I don't," Sora huffed.

Riku quirked his pierced brow as he blinked his coal-lined eyes at the pouty brunette. He smirked a little more darkly down at Sora, leaning in close.

"So, you want me to talk dirty to you?" He said in a playfully husky voice. "My, aren't we less innocent then we seem?"

"Wh-What?" Sora burst red all over his face, right down to his chest. His whole body trembled from the close proximity and the seductive look on Riku's face. He gulped hard, immediately shaking his head. "I didn't mean it! I mean, I did- but no, not like that! I-I'm not dirty!"

Sora whined, ducking his face into his hands.

"Can we change the subject, please?"

"You started it, you dirty minded child," Riku said, sitting back up straight. He was still smirking, though.

"I said it thinking it'd turn you off so badly that you'd walk out of the room or something!" Sora admitted in a voice that was muffled by his hands. "I didn't think you'd add to it…"

__So I like you, bite me___. _"Make all the excuses you want."

Sora whined again, barely looking between his fingers to glare at Riku like he was the most evil person on the planet.

"Mean Riku nurse... Making me get an x-ray and bullying me…"

"The best way to rid a phobia is to face your fears."

"Riku, you can get diseases from that just by standing next to it! That's not even directly in the beam of evil!" Sora said, clinging to Riku's arm and laying his head on the male's shoulder. "You'd be risking us both!"

"It's a one to one million chance we'll die of radiation poisoning," Riku laughed, putting one of his large hands over Sora's. He pet the brunette's fingers comfortingly.

"That's just dying! You can get horrible sicknesses and diseases _and_ radiation poisoning and _not _die! Just be put through hell for years on end."

"Calm down already," Riku said with a roll of his eyes. "It's not going to kill you. I promise."

"It could deform me!"

"It won't deform you!" Riku's voice was breathy with exasperation. "Sora, you seem like a reasonable guy. Pull yourself together already."

"It could," Sora mumbled, then sighed. "Let's just get it over with..."

"Good." Riku said. "Now, just relax for the next couple of hours, okay?"

"Hey, why don't we make-out?" Sora said with a sarcastic tone. "It'll calm my nerves."

Sora chuckled dryly to himself, not at all realizing he had said that out loud.

"… If that's what you want."

Sora blinked when he heard Riku's reply. A deep blush instantly blazed across his face as his head snapped to Riku.

"Oh land, I said that out loud!"

"Yes you did," Riku said with another smirk. "Can't take it back now. I knew you had a dirty mind."

"Y-You can't be serious," Sora laughed nervously as he stared shakily at his nurse. "Why would you want to? Y-You barely know me!"

"The formula for this situation is easy: I'm a big nurse and you're a spazzy scientist, and we're in a private room of a hospital with a possibility of being caught," Riku explained, oddly casual. "It makes for great porn."

"What!" Sora squeaked. His eyes grew wider the more Riku spoke. He gulped to try and wet his drying throat, but it only seemed to make it worse.

"I-I… I'm not… good at those things."

"So you say, but you haven't even tried yet."

Sora stared at Riku, trying to read his face to see if he was serious or joking with him again. He assumed the latter, and responded by scowling at the nurse. Riku laughed at the look Sora gave him before ruffling his hair again.

"Excuse me," Riku said as the radio called his name suddenly. "This is Riku, go ahead."

"Looks like we have an early opening in the x-ray room. Go ahead and bring the patient up with his papers."

"Understood. Thank you."

"You guys sound so military…"

"It's just basic protocol," Riku said with a shrug. "Come on, we need to go."

"That reminds me… Aren't cell phones a big "no-no" in hospitals?" Sora asked, not budging.

Riku gave Sora a flat look, stuffing the radio into his pocket. He crossed his arms.

"Yes. Cell phones are not allowed to be on in a hospital in certain rooms since they can affect the machinery. It's a pain in the butt specifying which rooms are okay for cells and which aren't, so only the staff can use cell phones. We use them to communicate between the nurses since it is more accessible than the intercom and only the bosses get official hospital radios."

"Oh, that's interesting," Sora said, his hands gripping tight to the bed. "So you're not really supposed to use it either?"

"Not technically, no, but it's been deemed necessary on occasion," Riku moved to force Sora out of the bed, pulling his tight hands from around the bed bars. "Come on, stop this. If we hurry there might still be time to get a steak for dinner or something."

"A steak? Dinner?" Sora asked with a dumbfounded blink. He was so surprised he had accidentally loosened his grip, which allowed Riku to forcibly jerk him from the bed. He sighed. "Fine. I'll be good."

"Good, now gets dressed," Riku pulled a gown from under the bed and then pushed the folded dress into Sora's arms.

"Dressed?"

"Yes, you can't wear that."

"Okay, where's the bathroom?"

"Nope, you're staying where I can see you."

"Wha…?" Sora shook his head furiously. "What? You're going to watch me get dressed?"

"Go on, what are you waiting for?" Riku asked, placing his hands on his hips impatiently.

"You're... going to watch me?"

"It's not anything I haven't seen before. Hurry, I can't hold that table for long," Riku said as though everything were completely normal.

Sora whined. He walked to the other side of the bed, turning his back on Riku. He had to force himself to pretend the other wasn't there as he began to strip down. Slowly, he began to pull the shirt up and off his lithe shoulders.

Riku didn't really watch Sora out of respect. Instead, he kept his eyes on the wall in back of him. He kept his arms crossed while waiting patiently for Sora to get in his gown. Once he was ready, Riku stepped to the door.

"You ready?"

"Y-Yeah…"

"Come on, then," Riku ran his nails gently across Sora's back through the gown, smiling gently. "Remember, you're going to be okay. X-rays are not a big deal."

Sora nodded, taking a big breath as he walked out first into the hall. Riku pointed toward the right end of the hall, but Sora suddenly dashed off to the left.

"I'm sorry! I can't do it!" Sora called apologetically as he frantically ran down the hall. The only warning most people got before he zoomed past was the slapping of his bare feet across the linoleum floor.

"Oh no you don't!" Riku growling in a feral voice as he quickly caught up to the brunette. He stretched his hand out toward his gown.

Sora sped up his running as fast as he could. He skid around a corner and just narrowly missed a small group of nurses. Sora looked behind him to see where Riku was for only a moment, but that turned out to be a bad decision. Just as he looked behind to see how far Riku was Sora's bare foot caught on someone's lost slipper. He tripped over the slipper and fell flying forward into an open closet full of robes.

"Ow…"

Riku skid to a stop once he reached the closet.

"That's it! I'm tying you up!"

Riku quickly pulled at the cloth belts around the thin robes, grabbing at least three. He tied Sora's ankles with one, Sora's wrists with another, and finally tied them both together with the last belt. Sora was busy recovering from shock as he worked,but immediately struggling once he realized what was going on. The more he pulled, however, the tighter they seemed to get.

"I can't do it! I can't I can't I can't!" Sora wriggled about like a bug.

"Don't make me sedate you," Riku scowled. He carried Sora over his shoulder, blowing some loose bangs from his face. They began to walk down the hall again in the right direction this time.

"Nice catch, Riku," said a young nurse that looked as if he could be related to Axel. He had the same spiky, wild red hair back in a ponytail and eye tattoos. However, his tattoos were larger and more detailed. He was pushing a man covered in a white sheet around in a wheel chair.

"Thanks Reno," Riku muttered.

Sora had gone quiet beyond a whimper now and then as he was carried once threatened with the needle. He looked up in time to see the nurse that had addressed Riku before, blinking at him.

"Who is Reno?"

"He's a private nurse. We have a dorm area for patients that need constant supervision," Riku explained, but he still sounded mad. "Again, the x-ray won't kill you."

Reno winked at Sora suggestively just before disappearing around a corner with the man in the white sheet, making him blink.

"Why did he wink at me?"

"Reno is a pervert, that's why."

Sora looked up and down the hall as he was carried, noticing many nurses were chuckling or giggling at him. Men and women alike stopped and took a second to stare at him.

"What the…?"

"They probably think you're adorable. Just ignore them," Riku said blandly, scowling at every person that turned to look at Sora. His free hand clenched into a fist and he growled low in his throat.

"Mine…"

"What's yours?"

"Eh?" Riku blinked. "Oh, nothing."

Riku finally made it to the x-ray room, moving to walk inside. He placed Sora over the table.

"Now behave this time!"

Sora only didn't squirm because he knew Riku was probably very serious about the needle subject. That didn't stop him from whimpering like a puppy being punished, however.

"Do I have to, honestly..?"

"Yes," Riku said while sighing and cracking his shoulder. "It will only take a few minutes, okay?"

"What are a few minutes closer to death anyway?" Sora asked in despair, wriggling uselessly against his bonds.

Riku rolled his eyes again.

"Stop being a baby. Look, here's the doctor. Now behave!"


	4. Leaving the Hospital

Sora finally finished climbing into the new clothes dropped off by some members of his "fan club" while Riku waited patiently behind him. The friends who had come by spent almost an hour checking him over to make sure he was okay before leaving the hospital, which took a bit of convincing as they were certain Sora wouldn't be able to walk himself home. With the same stubbornness he had inherited from his mother, Sora eventually convinced them to leave without him. Now alone in his hospital suite with his nurse, Sora gathered his things in preparation of leaving at last. He tossed what was left of his clothes from the blast into the bag that was brought with his things and pushed his cell into the pocket of his new jeans while Riku was looking over a chart.

It had only taken a few hours to get the results of the x-rays, and the results seemed to make Riku frown with disappointment. The more he read, and he did read several times, the more he sighed until he finally gave up and set the charts on his hip.

"It appears… you're in absolutely perfect condition," he sounded oddly disappointed. "Totally, completely healthy. Your leg and physical health are fine. Mental health, however… I'm not so sure."

Riku chuckled as Sora rolled his eyes dramatically and made a motion with his mouth as if he were laughing. They both smiled.

"You're just angry because now I can go and you can't tie me up without it being considered sexual harassment," Sora said with playful smugness just before turning around and bending from the waist to pick up his bag from the floor. He was wearing a small red T-shirt which rode up his back and some basic jeans that tightened over his ass as he bent over. He stood up straight and turned as he threw the bag over his shoulder, looking at his nurse expectantly.

Riku huffed, playfully nudging the brunette. There was a small dust of pink in his cheeks.

"You enjoyed it, admit it. If you're ready, we can go sign you out now…"

"You sound disappointed," Sora said, sounding just as hesitant and awkward.

"Yeah, I guess," Riku shrugged, moving to walk to the exit. He turned to Sora as he waited for him at the door. "Not because you weren't injured, though. I'm glad you're okay."

"Then why?" Sora asked as he stood side-by-side with Riku.

"Just, I kind of wish I could have really taken you out to dinner," Riku shrugged, his voice a little rushed while walking out of the room.

"You were serious about that?" Sora asked with soft surprise as he followed the nurse out and down the hall. His cheeks burned. "Maybe another time then... I would have liked dinner with you, too."

"You thought I was kidding about that?" Riku patted Sora's shoulder. "I was completely serious. In fact… this is entirely against protocol, but once I sign you out it won't matter anyway... how about we hang out sometime?"

Riku wouldn't look at Sora as he spoke, trying to seem aloof. However, the darkening pink on Riku's cheeks didn't go unnoticed. It made Sora grin with excitement.

"Why not lunch tomorrow? Since we're starting a new project, lunch may be the only break I get. We always tend to work way late into the night when we start new things," he scratched the back of his neck sheepishly.

"Lunch sounds great," Riku said, giving a small sigh of relief. He turned to look at Sora directly, still smiling. "Do you want to meet up somewhere?"

"Is it… Is it possible you can come by the labs tomorrow?" Sora asked, wincing. "I know it's kind of a walk and with all the trouble I already gave you, but I wouldn't have time to leave for anywhere too far- not saying I wouldn't have time for you, I certainly would make time, but I- "

"Sora!" Riku shook his head and laughed. "Sora, it's fine. Sure, I'd love to see where you work. You've seen where I work, after all."

Riku presented the hall with a grand flail of his arms.

"True..."

They walked in comfortable silence for the rest of the length of the hall. Once they arrived at the receptionist's desk, Riku was handed another clipboard. He gave the receptionist the one with the x-ray results, and then handed the clipboard he was given to Sora.

"Here, these are the release forms you need to fill out."

Sora took the clipboard as he set his bag on the ground near his feet, and then moved to the desk to fill out the forms. It was only three pages long and mostly involved his signature. Riku began to discuss something with the receptionist while Sora worked, but he was leaning rather far over the counter- to point something out on the computer to her. Sora bit his lip as he discretely watched Riku's ass move about while the nurse was over the counter. He tried to fill out his form, but it was hard with Riku's body distracting him. Once Riku turned as if to look at Sora, the brunette finally darted his eyes back to the paper and finished filling it out.

"Done?" Riku asked as he moved to stand beside the brunette. Sora handed him the forms. He immediately began to look them over as Sora nodded and moved to stand beside his bag still on the ground without picking it up.

"Okay then, you're all done," Riku passed the forms over to the receptionist whom began filing them away. Riku dusted off his uniform. "Have a safe trip back. Don't be falling out of the sky too often."

"I'll try not to, but it tends to be hard," Sora said with a chuckle. "Um, Riku?"

"Hm?" Riku looked at Sora curiously with his hands in his scrub pockets. "What's up?"

Sora grinned wide at his nurse. He quickly jumped forward, slinging his arms around Riku's neck in a close, tight hug. He squeezed him, kissed his cheek, and then whispered, "thanks for saving me."

After, Sora moved to grab his bag from the floor, shoulder it again, and run out of the hospital entrance as fast as he could.

Everything seemed to suddenly come to a stop. All the nurses, the receptionist, and even a couple of doctors that had been inside the foyer of the hospital stopped to stare at Riku.

Axel seemed to come out of nowhere to stand just behind Riku with a smirk.

"Seems like someone has a crush on you, Riku," Axel chuckled darkly.

"Shut up, Axel," Riku said half-heartedly, smiling as he touched his cheek.

* * *

><p>There you have it! Super short, but there wasn't any real need to add much more to this scene. Yaaay!<p> 


	5. Another Explosion

Sora addressed the newcomer with a warm smile and a somewhat shy offering of his hand. The first two times he had tried to shake hands with the subject he had been yelled at and asked to immediately sanitize both hands despite having been washed thoroughly before the first attempt.

"Hello, my name is Sora!" The brunette in the fresh, new lab coat introduced through a bit of strain. This was also the third time he introduced himself... which was also required before every "first" handshake. "Thank you for your patience and your time. How are you today, Mr. Stone?"

"I'm fine, thank you. And just call me 'Roxas'."

The blonde who sat on the examining chair offered a polite smile. He quickly examined Sora's outstretched palm and digits one last time before finally allowing their hands to meet; taking Sora's in a loose, gingerly grip and giving it one quick shake before snatching his hand back.

The gesture was quick and as firm as a butterfly's touch. Sora blinked at Roxas while his brain took its time catching up to him. Once it did, he offered Roxas another small smile- despite feeling annoyed at having gone through all that work for basically nothing.

_This is not going to be easy..._

Tidus watched the exchange beside an older man with long, white hair and a beard to match. The blonde cleaned and adjusted his glasses out of boredom as the man with white hair stared on expectantly at the new subject.

"I'm Roxas," the subject picked up again, as the silence of the lab seemed to make him twitch uncomfortably, "but you know that, or should. I mean, it'd be silly if you didn't being as this is the third time I've mentioned it and all... or is it? When it comes to numbers, I sometimes see them in my brain as a number completely different than what I started with. So, a three might be stuck in my memory as five or ten. And sometimes when I start to think too hard about a number I start to fall into these dizzy spells..."

Roxas continued to explain his issue with numbers with hardly a breath between each word. As he spoke, his arms and hands were actively sweeping back and forth, and occasionally jerking up above his head whenever he wanted to add emphasis to something. The more the blonde spoke the more the details of what he had to say about himself and his conditions became less and less pleasant. Yet, he smiled as if he were discussing how relaxing the weather was or a good show on television.

"I see," Sora replied every other sentence as he listened on to every detail with all the patience of a parent dealing with a hyperactive child. "I see... I see... Uh huh- "

"Don't do that!"

Sora jumped as Roxas stopped mid-sentence to screech at him. The blonde's eyes were wide and his hands had stopped cold in Sora's face.

"Don't... Don't do what? What did I do?"

"You said 'I see' twice and then 'uh huh'!" Roxas began as his hands flew over his head again and his brows furrowed. His tone was loud and demanding, and he spoke as if Sora should very well know better. "You can't just change your reaction to 'uh huh' like that! Choose one or the other, or continue in a pattern of dissimilar responses which in itself creates a pattern, or go back and forth in 'tick, tock' form! You need patterns! Without certain pleasantries being held within a certain boundary, the entire social network so delicately placed between us could be obliterated!"

Just as Sora was about to respond, most likely with an apology, there was a loud yawn that caught Roxas's attention instead. The blonde placed his hands on his hips and stared sternly at Leon, who stood on Roxas's other side with a clipboard. Leon blinked as he noticed he was being glared at, but his only response to his own 'rudeness' was to shrug dismissively.

However, before Roxas could begin on a ramble about Leon and yawning the eldest man with the white beard stepped forward, and with a fatherly smile chuckled softly at the three males.

"Calm down, my boy," he said in a warm, friendly tone. "My name is Ansem Wise. I run these labs. I think it would be best to start you off today with some questions and some discussion about what we the researchers want from you, the subject. Our motives, the tests we hope to run with your permission, and our expectation from you in terms of behavior... Everything necessary for moving forward."

Roxas looked squarely at Ansem, and made sure to lock their eyes before he nodded.

"Okay."

Sora cleared his throat gently.

"I just need to know some general information first. Things that had not been asked because it had been decided to continue First Introductions today. Will that be okay?"

Roxas turned to Sora, giving him all his attention as he had with Ansem before he nodded.

"Okay."

Sora held back a chuckle at how Roxas had to address everything: a nod followed by a verbal response.

"Well, let's begin with your full name."

"Roxas Stone, but I was asked that yesterday."

"I know. However, we always begin with some starter questions to evaluate your current mood and mental status."

"Ah, okay."

"Age?"

"Twenty-three."

"What is your favorite color?"

"Black and white."

"Both?"

"Yes."

Sora looked down at the paper he held on a clipboard similar to Leon's. There was a list of questions and the answers that had been given yesterday there. Beside the question about "favorite color" Roxas had originally answered "blue". Sora noted the change.

"Alright, favorite flavor?"

"Strawberry."

__Hm, another change... Yesterday he said "bananana"___. _Sora quirked a brow, but mentally shrugged. __Well, those things can change day to day with almost any person___._

"Alright, one more question and then I'll just need you to look over the list of disorders you've been diagnosed with over the years and with our resident psychiatrist to see if they are all correct or if something may be missing. If you have any questions or concerns please notify us before signing."

"Okay."

"Yesterday when you came in, you were asked these questions. Do you remember that?"

"Yes."

"Do you remember the answers you gave?"

"No."

"Okay, thank you," Sora unclipped and shuffled the papers around before he pulled a few sheets from the pile. As he did, Roxas stared at him confused.

"Was that really it? I thought you had questions I wasn't asked yesterday?"

"I did, but without daily consistency those questions become moot."

"Okay. Why?"

"They mainly have to do with memories of the day-to-day, much like those questions I just asked. It tells us a lot about the way your mind works so if I can't get consistent answers from the questions that we're already asking I don't need to add more."

"Am I not a good test subject...?" Roxas asked with a mild look of panic.

"Oh, no no no! You're fine! It isn't like a math test where you can fail these questions. And you don't have to attempt to memorize them either. The point is to be totally natural," Sora explained quickly as he nodded his head and offered another sweet smile.

Roxas looked a little more assured, though his head tilted curiously.

"Should you have told me that, then? That sort of... messes with the final answers, doesn't it?"

"Not at all," Doctor Wise began, moving in beside Sora. "It's even better, in fact. Your mind is working- memorizing. It's what we want to see."

Roxas nodded at Ansem.

"Okay."

"Alright, that leaves these papers you need to look over and sign."

The papers were taken, along with a pen offered by Sora. The subject took his time in reviewing everything they had discussed: nodding at each item as he understood it, blue eyes scanning over each sentence several times before moving onto the next, and eventually signing after rereading the document in the same manner at least twice more. Once the blonde had signed he handed everything back to Sora.

"What's next?"

Once he had the papers in hand, Sora moved aside and was replaced by Leon and Tidus. Roxas was made to lay on the examining table, which they had sanitized according to Roxas's specifications. Normally, the table would be used for autopsies on corpses (a detail they wisely kept to themselves.) It was metal, cold, and given a rubbery mattress for the subject's comfort.

"Now," Leon began with half a grunt, "we're going to do a few tests. The exams we're going to perform today are going to be simple. We're going to scan your brain first, test your reflexes, do some memory exercises, examine your eyes, skin, and hair. All harmless, and it'll be quick if you think you can stop squirming long enough for us to get them done. If not, you already signed a waiver so if you get hurt you can't blame us. Do you understand? Are you fine with this?"

"Yes," Roxas said with what was becoming his usual nod.

Despite Roxas's consent, however, the blonde continued to squirm about as Leon came close to touching him while adjusting the lights over the bed. He would inch away as far as he could until he was squished against the bed's railing as the tall brunette leaned over him. And as Tidus began to prepare and then place little sticky pads attached to wires wrapped in plastic to Roxas's forehead, arms, and chest the blonde would jerk away and jump.

It took almost an hour to attach all of the plastic stick-pads to Roxas as the blonde had kept pulling them off or moving them around to be "more even". To stop Roxas's worming around, the team was forced to strap the blonde to the table to stabilize him. With the subject tied down, the brain scan began.

oo00oo00oo

The whole team had been working since very early that morning. Normally, Sora loved his work and the day would go by much too quickly. If Sora could control time, he'd have the days last longer just to keep working... But today, it didn't seem like time could move fast enough. It had been almost four hours by this point, but to Sora it felt like three days.

The more Roxas struggled the more often tests had to be repeated. The more Roxas asked questions the longer each test would be delayed.

_Wise would never let us take a lunch without a certain amount of progress no matter what the reason. If we can't get these tests done soon I'll have to cancel on Riku! And it's already almost noon!_

"The straps aren't even!" and "That pad should be more left if you want it to be even with my earlobes!" were just many of the subject's whines. And with every whine came more struggling. Luckily, the pads were nice and sticky and didn't fall off... But that was useless if Roxas wouldn't sit still long enough for the examination to proceed.

The longer it took the more of Sora's excitement for his date began to wane. Under ordinary circumstances such an ordeal would be annoying, yes, but nothing Sora couldn't handle. However, this time it seemed with every tick of the clock everything he loved about his work and his precious human subject were just... dragging.

Eventually, Roxas was sedated with some laughing gas. Leon was the only one certified to handle administration of the gas, so while Tidus held Roxas down Leon held the mask and the blonde fell asleep in minutes. Sora, meanwhile, was chewing nervously on his pencil while staring intensely at the clock. That pencil had several holes it had accumulated over the course of the day along its neck from the brunette's rough bite.

__An hour to noon... Just an hour... The scan takes at least fifteen minutes. Maybe Ansem won't mind if I leave? It's just basic reflexes after this... I'll look at Tidus's notes. A scientist needs food to continue his work! And Soras need to spend time with hot nurses for the sake of their own sanity! Ugh... Who am I kidding? I just hope Ansem won't mind Riku staying if he gets here before we finish.__

oo00oo00oo

Noon was closing in when Riku was walking toward the labs with two orders of take-out from a local steakhouse in a plastic bag. He wore a regular, dark t-shirt that was almost a size too small, a pair of faded jeans, and basic tennis shoes. The silverette bit the silver ring on his lip anxiously as he saw the little building: a small workshop independent of the large labs just next door to it in the short distance.

__Okay, Riku... stay calm___, he thought with a hitch in his breath. ___He's a jumpy, cute little scientist. He's sweet and different from what you're used too, but that's even more reason to stay calm... __

Riku breathed a slow sigh to blow some of his silver bangs from his face and calm his nerves. The closer he got to the small lab building the faster his heart would beat.

__Why am I so nervous? I shouldn't be, I can't be! I was voted most egotistical in high school! I was captain of the baseball team! I shouldn't be nervous... but dammit, I am.__

Despite the apprehension, he couldn't help but grin excitedly to himself once the front door was visible. There was still a good bit of distance between himself and the entrance, but the squirming in his stomach was beginning to grow uncomfortable. His gait increased nearly to a jog when he couldn't fight his impatience any longer.

oo00oo00oo

Roxas had finally been released from the bed. He rubbed his face, head, and arms down thoroughly to get the feeling of the stickies and the straps off his skin. The four lab rats were convening on the other side of the tables while the blonde adjusted himself. Once he was ready to walk again, he stood up and began to wander about.

"So," Tidus began as he adjusted his glasses, "what do you guys think? Is he a good subject? He does squirm a lot, but he has most of what we need. It's not just a good start- it's a great leap for our research."

Leon looked thoughtful, which was the closest to "interested" anyone had ever seen him.

"He may be a bit too much on the 'out of order' side of things... And we've never had a live, human subject before. Maybe someone with a bit more mental stability would be better? That would mean less to work with, but less of an unpredictable factor, too."

"I feel that this may be a very good subject," Sora said with an excited grin. "He has everything we've been studying for the past four years shoved in one convenient package! I understand your hesitation, but who knows how much longer we'll have our grant without proper results? Not to mention the expenses we've incurred in the past three years..."

"Indeed," Doctor Wise began as he pat Leon bravely on the shoulder. "Despite certain small inconveniences today, I think we have what we were looking for. Just remember, gentlemen; he is a human. He isn't an animal, a species of plant, fungi, or bacteria... He is a human, and as he is human accidentally killing him can get us life in prison. So, let's agree to proceed with caution!"

Ansem looked directly at Leon as he spoke, giving him the biggest, flattest look a man of his age could muster.

Roxas, in the meantime, had stopped his wandering to glare at a small shelf of glass tubes. They were all the same size and most had what appeared to be the same colored liquid, but the contents of each were uneven. There were corks secured into their tops and they sat above a large sign that stated in large, bold print "DANGER: DO NOT MIX". The blonde read the sign, but instead of heeding its words and walking away he snorted at it indignantly.

"I don't want a repetition of the faulty Bunsen burner," Ansem continued with that same stare at Leon. He quirked his brow at his young pupil, unaware of Roxas's motives.

"Roxas is an innocent, if not very screwed up person I only just met. I wouldn't risk his life. That's reserved for people I care about, like all of you," Leon half cooed the last part playfully at Ansem with a smirk, which earned him a sigh and a shake of the head from the old man.

"No matter. Just keep your hands away from the burners for the next month, understood? Now, shall we continue, gentlemen?"

"Well, actually- " Sora began sheepishly while lifting a hand up to grab Doctor Wise's attention.

"I'll prep the room," called Tidus.

"Wait, couldn't we- " Sora said a little louder with a note of panic. The clock said it was exactly ten minutes to noon.

"I'll prep the patient," Ansem said, turning his back on Sora without noticing his distress.

"Wait, professor, please- " Sora tried again, moving to take his boss by the shoulder gently.

"I'll prep the equipment," Leon said with a yawn.

"Um, guys?" Roxas began with half a yelp that finally interrupted everything.

The four scientists that had scattered around the room turned to look at the blond... and noticed the blue smoke Roxas was slowly backing away from.

"I think I... did something wrong..."

"Holy sh- !"

"Not again- !"

"Oh boy..."

Sora gasped as the deep smell of rotten eggs suddenly filled his nostrils. Another second later and the whole room turned white.

oo00oo00oo

"I somehow predicted this would happen... One way or another," Doctor Wise said to himself casually, despite being flung from the lab buildings. He landed in some prickly, over-grown bushes.

"I point blame to Leon!" Tidus shrieked as he flew through the air just within ear pitch of the bigger brunette.

"How the fuck is it my fault this time!?" Leon argued back just before his head hit the ground and he was forced onto his stomach. There were large rocks lining the boarder between the labs and the park which Leon was unlucky enough to land on.

This time when Sora was involved with a blast he was sent flying through a window versus being shot into the air. When he hit the ground a few short seconds later, Sora began a series of rough tumbles down a small hill leading to the labs. He was so scrambled as he rolled down like a vertical boulder he hadn't a chance to think much on how he might stop or where. The only coherent thoughts he had were stammered words between hard bumps:

"I- " he smacked his shoulder, "do not- " Sora suddenly hopped over a rock, "like this- !"

oo00oo00oo

Riku had almost made it to the labs when he saw the little building was suddenly engulfed in flames. The windows burst, the roof popped a whole foot into the air, and several smoking bodies came flying out. There was one particularly familiar brunette rolling toward his feet until he finally stopped just at the edge of Riku's feet.

"What the fuck! Sora!"

Riku dropped the bag of take-out immediately as the brunette stopped at last. The silverette knelt down beside his burned date as Sora attempted to sit up, only to fall back toward the ground. Sora had just enough time to look up at Riku and smile before he was flat on the grass. Riku winced at the state of the poor scientist as he gently pulled him into his arms.

"Sora, come on... Talk to me!" Riku begged as he stared down at Sora.

The brunette's eyes flickered long enough for Riku to see how they were beginning to darken. There was a slow sigh as the brunette's head fell back heavily. There was a cut across Sora's forehead that was bleeding over his nose.

"No, Sora," There was a definite note of panic in Riku's voice as he called out desperately and gently shook the brunette. "Sora! Stay awake!"

Riku squeezed Sora gently with one arm as the other fumbled about in his pocket for his phone. He dialed the hospital's emergency room directly while staring down at the brunette with wide, glassy eyes.

"I need an ambulance! I count three bodies from my position, their status is unknown! There may be more! Where? Didn't you see that big explosion!? The lab building next door across the park! What does it matter if I'm off duty? Just send help!"

Sora was stirring again as Riku hung up his phone. The silverette's brows furrowed as he watched the brunette wince and gasp from pain as he tried to move. To keep his movements limited, Riku held him close to his chest and whispered in his ear.

"Don't move," Riku breathed as comfortingly as he could through his worry as he ran his fingers through Sora's dirty hair. "Don't move..."

Sora opened his eyes with difficulty and turned them onto Riku with an exhausted smile. Riku tried returning it, wanting to offer something encouraging... but his stomach was in knots.

"Ri... Riku...?"

Riku nodded as he tried to find his voice. He rubbed some of the smoke out of Sora's hair gently.

"Yes, Sora. I'm... I'm here."

"Riku...?" Sora chuckled weakly. "Heh... so much... for lunch..."

"Help's on the way, okay? Just hang in there... Please..."

Sora snuggled into Riku's chest as his arms loosely wrapped around around the nurse's waist.

"Ah well, it's just nice you came... I normally get blown off."

"I wouldn't blow you off... I like you."

Riku sighed with relief as he finally heard the sirens.

"Finally...!"

"Are you gonna be my nurse again?" Sora asked as his eyes began to dim again.

"Of course I'll be your nurse again," Riku replied as he combed over Sora's scalp soothingly.

There was a soft grin of content on Sora's boyish face.

"Good... because..." Sora breathed heavily and his eyes began to close, "no one else... will... do..."

Sora was out like a light, barely whispering his last words before passing out.

Riku blushed as a chuckle escaped him. He hugged the brunette closer to his body carefully.

"If we're going to somehow make this work, we have to find a way to keep you from blowing up all the time," Riku whispered to the unconscious body in his arms.

The ambulances finally pulled up. Riku didn't want to let Sora go, but he had to for the EMT's to work. He _was _able to force his way into the ambulance with the brunette, despite certain objections from the ambulance riders, and held Sora's hand all the way to the hospital.

* * *

><p>No this is not the final chapter. No, Sora is not dead.<p> 


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